A family secret

*Starred Review* Published in conjunction with the Anne Frank House and the Resistance Museum of Friesland, this moving graphic novel translated from the Dutch tells of Holocaust perpetrators, rescuers, collaborators, and bystanders through the experience of one family under Nazi occupation in Amsterdam. It is in the tradition of Art Spiegelman's classic Maus (1986), not only in format and the historical facts of the millions who perished, but also in the unsentimental truth of the complex humanity: victims are far from saints, survivors are haunted by guilt. The art is in ink and watercolor, with very clear, highly detailed panels, eight or nine per page. The gripping story begins with a contemporary young teen, Jeroen, whose grandmother, Helena, tells him for the first time about her teenage years in Holland. Many panels show a tiny profile of Gran now as she remembers the Nazi-Resistance conflict right in her family's living room. Her policeman father went along with the Dutch Nazi Party to get a promotion, while her mother remained in furious opposition. One pro-Nazi brother can't wait to join the army, and the other brother secretly participates in the Resistance. Helena's friend Esther, a Jewish refugee from Germany, tells her about Krystallnacht and other atrocities. When the Dutch Nazis come for Esther's family, Helena's father refuses to rescue her friend. After the war, he is executed as a collaborator. But secrets are revealed right up to the present, and in all their complexity, they will stay with readers forever. With its companion, The Search (2009), this is a must for the Holocaust curriculum.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2009 Booklist

Gr 5 Up-These intertwined graphic novels tell the stories of two girls coming of age in Europe during World War II. A Family Secret follows the story of Helena, who survived the war primarily due to her father's decision to collaborate with the Nazis. She recounts her life and those of others, including citizens stranded in the Dutch East Indies at the time. The Search begins in our current era, with Esther arriving in the Netherlands from the U.S. for her grandson's Bar Mitzvah. While there, she catches up with Helena, whom she befriended at age 12 after fleeing Hitler's Germany for the Netherlands. Through flashbacks, Esther and Helena tell their grandsons about the danger-filled era of their youth. Before she returns to the U.S., Esther learns the final fate of her family and receives a priceless memento that Helena has kept for her. The Search, in particular, would pair well with Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl. Heuvel crafts his artwork in the European ligne claire style, making the books highly reminiscent of Herge's work in "Tintin." North American audiences may find the cartoon style somewhat at odds with the often tragic nature of the narratives, but those who try it out will find the books interesting and educational.-Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.